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Iraq ‑ Complex Emergency Fact Sheet #10, Fiscal Year (FY) 2018

Countries
Iraq
+ 1 more
Sources
USAID
Publication date

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Approximately 1.89 million IDPs remain displaced in Iraq, as 4.08 million people return to areas of origin
  • USG declares disaster due to a waterborne health emergency in Basrah
  • USG announces additional support for vulnerable populations, including members of ethnic and religious minorities

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

  • More than 1.89 million people remained displaced across Iraq, while approximately 4.08 million people had returned to areas of origin as of September 30, according to U.S. Government (USG) partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The rate of returns has slowed, resulting in displacement that is increasingly protracted and leaving those who remain displaced in need of sustained humanitarian assistance in both camp and non-camp settings.
  • Critical protection concerns remain for both internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees. The Government of Iraq (GoI) continues efforts to close IDP sites, raising concerns among humanitarian actors regarding unsafe returns and the potential for secondary displacement among households unable to return to areas of origin.
  • On September 10, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Douglas A. Silliman declared a disaster due to the health emergency in Iraq’s Basrah Governorate resulting from waterborne illness that affected at least 80,000 people between mid-August and late September. A USAID partner is addressing urgent water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) needs in Basrah, including water trucking and rehabilitating a water treatment plant.
  • The USG recently announced $178 million in additional funding in Iraq to support the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response (GRPR) Program and U.S. Department of State demining activities and social, economic, and political empowerment grants. The funding includes $51 million in humanitarian assistance from USAID/FFP and USAID/OFDA for vulnerable populations, including ethnic and religious minorities.
  • In FY 2018, State/PRM, USAID/FFP, and USAID/OFDA provided nearly $499 million in humanitarian assistance, bringing total USG assistance to Iraq since FY 2014 to more than $2.2 billion.